Draft rigging



July 5, 1927.

B. W. KADEL.

DRAFT RIGGING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 4. 1926 Fatented d w. res or antennas-n,

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Application filed February a, 1926.

'My invention relates to draft rigging for railway cars, and more particularly to mechanism for operatively connecting a coupler stem to the draft yoke, and the prinicpal t feature of the invention is to provide a pivotal connection between the coupler and yoke and at the same time to associate with the said coupler means whereby the butting loads transmitted to the coupler will be centered upon the cushioning mechanism associated with the said yoke.

To this end one of the principal features of my invention, generally stated, consists in combining with a pivotally connected yoke and coupler a member intermediate the coupler and the cushioning element of a draft rigging, and in so arranging this member as to afiord means for centralizing bufiing shocks transmitted to the cushioning mechanism by the said coupler.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the various elements and combina tions of elements hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

Referring to the drawings,-

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a coupler and yoke illustrating one form of -my invention.

Figure 2 is a view, partially in side elevation and partially in section, of the construction shown in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a filler block or swivel member used in connection with the coupler and yoke shown in Figures 1 to 3.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1, illustrating, however, the adjacent portions of the car sills in section and showing a slightly modified form of connection.

Figure 6 is a lbngitudfnal vertical sectional View of the construction shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a'view similar to Figure 6, illustrating, however, a slightly modified construction.

Throughout the specification and drawings Serial No, 36,022.

like parts are designated by like reference characters.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, the coupler stem 1 is rovided with an enlarged butt 2 the rear face of which is preferably provided with a plurality of forward- 1y extending slots 3 each of which is adapted to receive one arm of the yoke member 4:. The slots 3 are each conveniently formed between the outwardly projecting lips or flanges 5 and 6, and intermediate the flanges 6 I preferably cut away the coupler stem to form a recess 7. The upright faces at the rear, ends of the flanges 5 and 6 are con veniently rounded or curved as at 8, and likewise the forward face 9 of the recess 7 is curved or rounded, all. of these faces being preferably concentric with the pivot pin 10 which serves to pivotally connect the coupler and yoke.

Fitting between the yoke arms and extending into the recess 7 is a block 11 which will be designated for convenience as a swivel block. This block is provided with curved faces 12 adapted to cooperate with the curved faces 8 of the flanges 6, and intermediate these curved faces 12 the block 11 is pro vided with a thimble member 13 having a curved face 14 adapted to cooperate with the face 9 of the recess 7, and provided with a pin receiving opening or recess 15. In the rear of the curved face, the block 11 is preferably widened out, which may be conveniently accomplished by providing laterally extending flanges 16 projecting from opposite sides of the block;

The pivot pin 10 hereinbefore referred to is adapted to extend through alined openings in the flanges 5 and 6' of the coupler member and through correspondingly formed openings in the arms of the yoke i, each of the sald yoke, arms being enlarged as at'17 adjacent the openings therein to receive the pin 10. The said pin 10 also extends through the opening 15 in the swivel block 11 and pivotally connects the latter to I both the coupler and oke members.

It will be observed t at in Fi res 1 to 3 there is no relative translation tween the coupler and yoke member or between the coupler and swivel block, or between the latter and the yoke.

In Figure 5 the coupler 18 is provided with forwardly extending'slots 19 in its butt,

curved or rounded face 26 which is adapted to cooperate with the curved or rounded face 27 of the follower block 28. The faces 26 and 27 are of course concentric with the pivot pins 22. The follower 2-8 is transversely slotted so as to receive the coupler connecting key 29 which passes through the said block and which has its end portions received in elongated slots 30 in the draft or center sills 31. Cheek-plates, such" as 32, may be provided if desired, to relieve the wear .upon the draft sills, and "to afford.

additional bearing area for the ends of the said key. While I have shown the slots 30 in the sills and cheek-plates as rearwardly elongated it will of course be apparent that by elongating the slot 33 in the follower 28 it is not necessary to provideclearance in rear of the rear edge of the coupler key 29, since by providing the same clearance between the forward edge of the key 29 and the forward end of the slot 33 in the block 28, as I have provided in the yoke arms '20, the key 29 could remain stationary in both draft and b'ufling movements.

In Figure 7 the construction is substantially identical with that in Figure 6, and need not be described in' detail for a complete understandin of the invention. In this construction the follower block 28 is provided with a vertically slotted extension 34., and the pivot pin 22* is extended through.

the entire height of the coupler stem. It will of course be understood that a curved bearing is provided at the forward end of the block 28, said bearing being adapted to cooperate with the correspondingly curved bearing formed on the coupler shank.

It will be observed in all of the modifications here illustrated that the means whereby the coupler and yoke are-connected is 'placed in quadruple shear, and that by ar ranging the mechanism as shown there is no angling of the coupler butt or swivel block with reference to the cushioning mechanism, and all buffing blows received by the coupler will be transmitted to the cushioning mechanism on'the center line thereof, and all tendency of the coupler to cause aesgsee unequal pressure on opposite,sides of the cushioning mechanism will be avoided.

I claim 1. In a draft rigging, the combination with a yoke member provided with spaced armsfof a coupler pivotally connected to said yoke, means on said coupler for engaging the inner faces of said yoke arms, a block positioned between said arms, said block having a plurality of laterally spaced concentric bearing portions engaging said coupler, and means for pivotally connecting said block and coupler.

2. In a draft rigging, the combination with a yoke member, of a coupler provided 'witha plurality of spaced recesses, a block positioned within said yoke, a portion of said block extending within one of said recesses, the arms of said yoke member being spaced from the said portion of said block and adapted to ezttend within said other recesses, and means for pivotally connecting said members.

3. In a draft rigging, the combination with a yoke member, of a coupler stem having a plurality of pairs of spaced arms adjacent its inner end, a pivot pin for pivotally connecting said stem and yoke, and an independent block positioned within the yoke and adapted to engage the said cou-,

pler in front of said pin and between adjacent arms of said stem, each of the said pairs of arms'being adapted to embrace'the with a yoke member, of a coupler stem provided with a plurality of spaced recesses therein, a block positioned between the arms of the yoke member and pivotally'engaging at one end the said coupler stem within one of said recesses, the opposite end of said block extending laterally of the planes of the yoke arms, the arms of the yoke being adapted to extend within the said other recesses in the said stem, and means for pivotally uniting said coupler and yoke, said means also extending through said block.

6. In a draft rigging, the combination with a yoke member provided with spaced arms, of a coupler pivotally connected to said yoke, means including a plurality of flanges provided ,on said coupler for engaging the inner and outer faces-of said yoke arms, a block positioned between said yoke arms and having portions adapted to engage the inner faces of said yoke arms and the innermost of said flanges, and means for pivotally connecting said block and coupler.

7. (In a draft rigging, the combination with a vertical yoke having uniformly spaced arms, of a coupler having portions embrac:

'ing said yoke arms, and portions interposed adapted to transmit bufi'mg loadsbetween the same, a block interposed between said last named portions of said coufler and rom the coupler to associated cushioning mechanism,

and vertically extending means for pivotally connecting said block, yoke, and coupler.

' In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

BYERS W. KADEL. 

